Mara Shepard
by Pathogen34988
Summary: Basicly a backstory i have developed for my character and an expansion of the back story of the characters already in ME. My first attempt at a good story, stay tuned for more chapters and plz give feed back.
1. Chapter 1

Part 1: The Spacer

A lot had transpired in the last twenty four hours. Jenkins, dying, at the hands of the Geth maybe, but his blood was still stained on her hands. Mara had lost men before, but it never gets easier. As his commanding officer Mara Shepard was responsible for his death. If she had just held back for a few more seconds, if she took point, he could still be alive. And then Ashley, she was a good soldier, yet she was uneasy, like she never expected to serve in space. Mara looked up her record, clean, perfect technical score, no reprimands, but only ground side garrison assignments, no fleet assignments. Huh, Mara murmured, confused. Something about Ashley rang a bell but she couldn't put her finger on it.

Now she was also teamed up with a Turian, a Krogan and a Qurian; now she was a Specter. Free from law, Free from orders, save from the council. Her head was spinning. She was still trying to sort out the vision from the Eden Prime mission. Reapers, what are they exactly, what do they want, and will they really return? The something else came to mind, something Nihlus said. "The Specters have been looking at you as a potential specter for a while." but how long was a while? Since Elysium, or during her tour on the boarder colonies? Or maybe even before that?

_Mara's parents had decided that she was to spend a year ground side at a boarding school. She was 10 and had lived on the SSV London for 6 months now. She didn't want to leave, the London was her home, she loved space and she disliked being ground side. Mara still held the memory of her final gaze into space from her parent's quarters dear. This was for her own good, as she had to develop socially, and it also was a necessary safety precaution. The London was being assigned to patrol the Skilian Verge, privateers make constant raids on the boarder colonies and her parents were concerned._

_Mara stood in the shuttles airlock, giving her mother a hug goodbye. She paused for a second in the airlock door and stared at her parents. Her upbringing showed. Even though she didn't want to leave, not once did she protest, not obviously, but she had a way of communicating her objections. She looked at her parents, a look that only a mother or father would understand. Their discipline almost cracked at this and Mara swore she saw a tear on her father's cheek. She turned and entered the shuttle._

_She had never been on earth before, but she soon found a new fondness for the ground side life. She quickly developed a group of friends and excelled at all her subjects. Her mother and father made her pronounce words properly and spell correctly and she was always asking the chief engineer questions about element zero and mathematics. That was back on the London. She still missed the ship but enjoyed her temporary ground side life. Always, a part of her would be in the stars though. Every night she would stare into the void from the balcony in her dorm. And she never lost her discipline. Never causing trouble but maintaining a strong presence in the room._

_She walked the hall as the left for morning class. Rebecca, a dorm mate and Mara's closest friend walked besides her talking about a ranch that her family owned over in Colorado. How in the winter she would make daily trips to Aspen and ski, and the tours of NORAD, the old computer age military facility. A lot of ancient vids were based on Cheyenne Mountain. Back then it was a secret military installation, now it's an out-dated relic from the cold war. This fascinated Mara, but not as much as the mountains. Mountains could bring her closer to the stars than she had been in three months. She missed her parents, missed the London, missed the__ colours of FTL. She was only 10 yet she had seen the galaxy. She was__ stopped by an Asari in the hall._

"_Hello, you must be Mara" she said politely._

_Rebecca stood stunned, Mara gestured with her head, losing none of her poise._

"_Yes, I am. Pleased to meet you Ms?" asked Mara_

"_I am Sangra; I'm... with administration." The Asari said._

"_Well Sangra, what do you want?" she asked_

"_I was wondering if you would come with me to the principal's office to answer a few questions."_

"_Will the principal be there?" She asked_

"_When we get there yes but he will leave shortly after"_

_Mara walked with the Asari to the principal's office._

"_Wait here for a few seconds will you, I have to talk to the principal" said Sangra when they arrived_

_Sangra entered and began talking to the principal._

"_I have a request to ask a student a few questions, Mara, she is waiting in the hall" asked Sangra _

"_This is highly unorthodox, may I ask what authority you have to talk to this student?" asked the principal_

"_Well, I have the consent of the mother" Sangra said modestly_

"_I'll have to confer-"_

"_I also have the consent of the council, leave immediately or I will place you under arrest for contempt." Interrupted Sangra._

"_I see, you will tell me before you haul her off to a conscript training program, or is that also your prerogative?" asked the principal in an insolent tone._

"_I assure you, that is not the purpose of this interview" said Sangra_

_The principal left and gave Mara a concerned look as she entered the office. Sangra was now sitting on the principal's side of the desk; she relaxed and flexed the tentacles on her head._

"_So, Mara, Shall we begin?" asked Sangra_

"_I guess" she answered_

"_Ok, my first question is, what do you think the purpose of the alliance navy is?" Sangra asked_

"_Well, some people have said it is meant to keep aliens away from our interests, like the Turians and your self. But if that's true, why would we participate in maneuvers with the Turian fleet? Maybe the Navy is like a different part of the citadel fleet." Answered Mara_

"_Well answered, what about specters, what do you think of them?"_

"_There're like secret agents aren't they, doing… uh… black ops stuff?"_

"_Huh, I guess so… One last question, what do you want to do when you finish school?" asked Sangra_

"_I like space, Ms Sangra. The alliance is the best way to see it, like my parents I guess." Answered Mara_

"_Hmm…" said Sangra as she wrote something down on a digital pad._

"_Ok, thank you, that's all I need, I will see you again Mara, you may return to class now."  
Mara stood and left, a little confused at what had just transpired._

_Six years later_

_Mara sat at dinner with her family. Her mother had just returned from her posting on the Einstein._

"_So Mara, how have you been, your father tells me you've been sneaking into the deployment area to train with the marines." Asked her mother_

"_Um, yeah, well in 18 months I'll be old enough to join the Alliance so I thought some tips from the marines would help." Said Mara before she shoveled food into her mouth_

"_Sure honey, you just like that private Jonathan" laughed her father_

"_Dad!" Mara protested_

"_Hehehe, well you've developed your mother's eye. I think I saw him on my way through. Is he the one with the brown hair, blue eyes and perfect a–"Mara's mother was cut off._

"_Honey, you're back half an hour and your already eying up the recruits" said Mara's father, obviously offended._

_Mara and her mother burst out with laughter_

"_Oh, sorry honey, I couldn't resist. Bit you on the ass that one didn't it."_

"_Oh, I knew you two conspire against me."_

"_Hey mum, distract him so I can swipe his meat loaf" whispered Mara, loud enough that her dad would hear it._

"_You really don't want to do that" said Mara's father_

_The conversations went on into late in the night. Other crew members joined in, welcoming Mara's Mother back. Mara went to bed late, an unwise move considering she had arranged to fly co-pilot with one of the fighter squads. The crew gave her jobs to keep her occupied and taught her how to fly and how "Mass Effect" technology works. Mara awoke to murmurs in the adjacent chamber. She forced her self up, rubbing yellow "goobies", as her mother called them, from her eyes. Her red hair was pushed up to one side. She dragged it down and made a tied it up into a pony tail_

"_If she wants to. This will give her a head start."_

"_I don't know, I mean she's still so young, how can she make her mind up now?"_

"_I'll leave it to you. But, please, at least let me present the idea to Mara."_

"_Present what to Mara?" Asked Mara as the door slid open._

_Sangra sat with her parents_

"_Mara, long time, no see, well for you maybe" said Sangra_

"_Um, could you excuse me and Mara while I do this?"_

"_Ok, but we don't care what you are, it's her decision." Said Mara's Father_

"_As I've already said, the ultimate decision belongs with Mara" reassured Sangra_

_Mara's mother and father left the room slowly, Mara's father holding her mother._

"_If I remember correctly, you have that affect on everyone" said Mara_

"_Hm… just humans it seems" replied Sangra_

"_Well, what's this proposition?" asked Mara_

"_Well you still want to joint the Alliance don't you?"_

"_Of course, but I don't understand you involve-" Sangra cut her off_

"_You've been given a scholarship at a military university due to your good grades" Explained Sangra_

"_The school specializes in training elite soldiers with a comprehensive background in command and mass effect technology"_

"_Ok so what's the catch?"_

"_Well, it requires your commitment to the Alliance"_

"_Why are you interested in my commitment to the Alliance?"_

"_I'm not interested in the Alliance, I'm interested in you Mara, and you have potential… Do as you wish, but make the right decision for you. Give me your decision in a day; I'll remain on board until 1800 hours tomorrow."_

"_Ok, but I still want to know your involveme-"Sangra cut her off again_

"_Confer with your parents before you make any decisions" said Sangra with finality._

_Sangra stood and left, leaving Mara in the room. Mara watched her as the door slid open in front of Sangra._

Mara had never thought about that instance again until now. She lent back into her chair, she felt uncomfortable in this room. She felt she had usurped it from Captain Anderson. She sipped some coffee from a stainless steel mug and relaxed. How could she not have seen it, she was targeted by the specters at 10 years of age, maybe even before!!! She felt tired, a reprieve was required, sleep. "Joker, Set course for the Artemus Tau cluster, lets see if we can't find that Asari." Mara said into her comm.

"Aye-aye commander" replied Joker and in an instant a low, barely audible hum began to reverberate through out the ship. The docking clamps released the Normandy and the ship backed out of the Alliance docking port. Even though the inertial dampeners were working, Mara still felt any change in direction. She stood up from the desk and walked to her bed.

As Mara's head hit the pillow the florescent lights dimmed and she fell to a restless sleep.

Next Part 2, Boot Camp


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2: Boot Camp

"Joker, what's our ETA" said Mara

"2 hours mam, I could increase the speed to 1000 times and decrease our ETA to 13 minutes, but if we deploy into a hot area, we would be disadvantaged." Replied Joker

"2 hours is fine Joker, Shepard out."

Mara looked into the security feeds in the deployment deck, Tali was talking to engineer Adams. "I thought they'd get on." Mara thought as she peered into the monitor. Garrus was looking at the diagnostic panel for the Mako and Wrex leaned on the VI storage device, just staring. He was a Krogan Mercenary definitely, but there was something else. Something in his eye, the way he talked, how he acted. Something bothered him deeply. The thought was cut off by a tone.

"Enter" said Mara

The door slid open and Ashley Williams stood at the door.

"Sergeant Williams, what can I do for you?" Asked Mara

"Commander, you can call me Ash, I'm off duty." Said Ashley at attention

"In that case at ease" Said Mara

Ashley slouched slightly, but still looked as though awaiting orders

"Come in, come in, would you like a coffee?" Asked Mara

"That's not necessary mam." Replied Ashley

"Always be a good host, Ash, even aboard your own ship." Said Mara

"Yes mam"

"Drop the formality Ashley. Tell me what you are here for?"

"I wanted to speak, off the record." Ashley relaxed a bit more

"I keep an open door policy, if you have any concerns lay them on me."

"Alright. I'm concerned with the Aliens, Vikarian and Wrex. With all due respect, I don't think they should have free rein of the vital systems, weapons and propulsion." Said Ashley

"You mean because their not human?"

"No. not that. Because they're not Alliance. My father, grandfather, grandmother, they all picked up a rifle and swore the oath of allegiance. These people have no allegiance to anyone." Answered Ashley

"These sound like deeply held beliefs Ashley, have you always thought like this?"

"My family has 4 generations of service; I guess we tend to think of the Alliance interests as our own."

"You've never worked with aliens before?"

"Well, I've never been posed on a ship before. I did do a training course on Jump Zero. Every marine a rifle man, every rifle man zero g certified."

"Never been posted on a ship?"

"Well I've always wanted to. In training we went to Titan. As we landed it hit me, I'm the first person to stand here. Then I fell over and the drill sergeant belted me for "gold bricking"."

"Don't tell me you had Gunney Ellison, he's the only one who uses that word for shirking duty."

"You had him too? Yeah, he's still belting out recruits using words like "inveigle" and "pusillanimous"."

"Ok Ash, I see you point of view, but this is a multilateral mission, you'll have to learn to work with aliens like it or not."

"Don't worry mam, you say jump I say how high, you tell me to kiss a Turian, I say which cheek."

"Well in that case, Garrus looks like he could use some cheering up." Joked Mara

"Um, off duty mam." Replied Ashley

"OK" Mara laughed "Get some sleep, we arrive in 2 hours."

"Aye-aye mam"

Ashley turned and left. Mara leaned back into her chair and flicked a pen through her fingers. "Training, hm" Mara mused to her self.

_The siren went off at 5 am. Mara groaned, with her parents she was normally up at 4 to go for a run, but the training regiment of this place was insane. 3 hours of cardio in the morning then 4 hours of combat tactics, an hour for lunch then Mass Effect theory and physics for another 5 hours, then 2 hours of weight training. By the end of every day she also had to revise everything she learnt the previous day or she would forget completely. It was 11 before she managed to get to sleep. Weekends were a required reprieve, yet some times training continued through weekends to "simulate combat situations". But through all this, Mara flourished. She rose to every challenge and conquered it. While the others around her broke she remained strong, infallible._

"_GET UP MAGGOTS!" barked drill sergeant Lopez. "It's nice and cool; let's get started now before it heats up"._

_Cool was an understatement. The temperatures in the Australian outback went trough extremes; at night it was nearly sub zero and during the day it could get above the 40 degrees. Mara stepped out of the barracks with only a singlet, a "wife beater" as they are known here, track pants and shoes. Mara was eager to start her run to warm up. At this temperature "__piloerection__" was exaggerated. It looked as though Mara's skin was trying to peal away from her it was that bad. Yet she preferred the cold to the heat. The temperature variation was a difficult adjustment. On a ship the temperature was a constant 26 degrees. Now it was 4 to 40 each day. The run began. For half an hour she sprinted. The sooner she reached the checkpoint the longer she had to rest. As the dew on the sand and scrub melted it seeped through the fabric of her shoes. Advanced draining technology diverted the moisture from her feet. As it approached 6 dawn began to break. Mara sat herself at the top of a sand dune and watched the sun rise over the endless plains of sand. Shadows fought a losing battle as the sun cast light down on to the dunes. Mara felt an instant wash of heat as the light kissed her face. A welcome reprieve from the cold, but she knew it would not last. Soon it would be unbearable. But Mara had learnt to live in the moment, not to concern her self with what may or may not happen. But still something nagged at her, reminding her that it would not last. Mara gave a heavy sigh at this __realisation__, the closest she had or would ever come to cracking._

_Combat training took place in the old abandoned town of Alice Springs. The combat armor she wore had an intercooler that cooled her of after the Cardio exercises. She followed the commands of an older student. The squad was made up of 8 people. Mara had only been at this institute for 3 months and she already had a reputation for a keen strategic mind and excellent marksman ship. She was assigned to second in command and over watch._

"_Delta one, this is delta over watch" said Mara_

"_Over watch, this is delta one, got a sitrep?" said John, Mara's superior_

"_Affirmative. 3 tangos moving to high ground. 2 others taking position at option sierra 1, flanking position with quick routes to sierra 4 and 5. Objective covered by 2 other tangos. Over watch not located. Recommend hold position."_

_Mara was 500 meters away, resting inside a dune. She had dug out a position and covered her self completely with sand. Only her weapon stuck out of the dune. The rifle was a laser designator that would tag the enemy. Once tagged the mark's armors kinetic amplifiers would lock up completely if a kill shot or partially if a limb was targeted. Stomach shots were the most interesting. The Mark would be locked up for a second then release, then slowly lock up again unless he received attention by the squad "Medic" with in 4 minutes The objective was to capture the enemies "flag". One side defended and the other attacked. Simple and ancient rules of capture the flag, but the way it was played changed dramatically._

"_Over watch, that's a negative, time is approaching elapse, need to secure ASAP."_

"_Ok, send deltas 7 and 8 down sierra 2. Good shot of the snipers on high ground from structure Charlie 6, then take the rest down sierra 1, oh and tell 7 and 8 to make lots of noise." Said Mara_

"_Roger that over watch, delta one out." Said John_

_Soon after 2 figures could be seen leaving an old deli at the far end of the town. They ran to a house down an alley._

"_Delta 1? This is delta 7, 4 canisters of kerosene in the attic, permission to blow up?"_

"_Over watch?" asked John_

"_How big are the canisters?" asked Mara_

"_We've got 20 liters mam."_

"_If you blow the south end of the house you should be able to distract them, if you have any insulation you could also use the hole as cover." Said Mara_

"_Do it" said John_

_Mara saw a large fiery explosion from the village. Every enemy turned and ran to the explosion. The road designated sierra 1 was now clear and the main force ran down the street to the objective. Smoke from the explosion covered the fact that only two soldiers that were shooting out of the house. The insulation had dampened any fires that would have otherwise prevented the maneuver. A laser from delta 7 hit a target in the leg. The mark hit the floor, not expecting his leg to freeze up as he ran. Mara put him out of action with a shot to the head. Another fell, though this time the mark dragged himself to cover, Mara let out a disgruntled moan and shot a sniper in the head to make herself feel better. He toppled over, unable to move. Mara saw the medic move up to aid the man that had been shot in the arm. She paused and waited for him to patch up the wounded soldier. When he was fixed he stood and shot a few "rounds" into the house where delta 7 and 8 were holed up. Mara quickly shot him in the head; the medic soon followed his patent. "4 down, 4 to go. But where's that over watch?" she thought. The three remaining retreated._

"_Delta 1, this is over watch. 4 tangos down, remaining three retreating to objective, unable to provide additional sniper support." Said Mara_

"_Affirmative over watch, any sign of tango over watch?"_

"_Negative, will advise if located." Replied Mara_

_Mara watched as 7 soldiers surrounded the complex where the flag was located. One cracked open a window and rolled in a flash bang. The complex seemingly exploded with light and sound. Delta quickly ran in and secured the complex._

"_Objective secured, no casualties" said John_

"_Affirmative Delta 1. Be advised, over watch still at large. Repeat, tango over watch still active, recommend caution." Said Mara, annoyed as normally over watch was the first she would eliminate._

"_Roger that over watch. Proceeding to extraction." Said John_

_Delta ran down the alley, sierra 2, taking cover positions as they went. Soon all that was left was an intersection and they were at their home base._

"_Ok on 3 we make a run for it. 1…2…3" said John._

_All the sudden 7 men emerged, running to the extraction point. If they made it then they had completed the mission. Just as suddenly one of the men froze and fell. Soon another, and then another. The whole squad fell with in the space of 3 seconds. One was shot in the leg and managed to dive in to cover._

"_Over wa- AHHH!!! Mara, what the hell!" yelled John_

"_Still searching for over watch sir, unable to spot. Do you have a direction?"_

"_North west, close by." Said John heavily._

"_Understood sir, you able to make extraction?" asked Mara_

"_Negative, Delta 3 had the objective; I can't go out like this."_

"_Understood sir, moving in, request any support you can give."_

"_I'll try and cover the south west access, be care- what, who are yo-"John's transmission cut out_

"_Sir? Sir? John, respond. Damn it."_

_Mara stood up. The sand poured off her. She contracted her sniper and pulled out her assault rifle as she ran for the village._

_Being closer to the buildings of the town made Mara appreciate how long ago this town was abandoned. Paint was pealing from the brick wall she was using for cover, the __aluminium__ roof's support beams had rotted to the point were a section of the roof had actually collapsed. Mara stepped cautiously and deliberately. The tango over watch was probably waiting near the flag for Mara to attempt to retrieve it, so time was not an issue. Mara kicked one of the broken bottles that littered the floor out from under her shoe. She heard creaking upstairs. She poised her gun and began towards the noise. Just then, a dingo darted down with a rat in its mouth. Mara jumped back then sighed and relaxed he poise, relived that it wasn't the enemy. __Realising__ the threat still existed she scolded herself and continued on to the next building. Soon the flag was in her sights, all she had to do was pick it up and dash to the extraction point. Still, there was no harm in taking it slow. She checked every building with a shot at the junction. Nothing. This was not good news. This meant that the tango was hiding somewhere she could not see. The threat still existed, and it was more real then ever. The sun grew high in the sky; Mara had to make a choice. She stepped out cautiously, checking each new possible ambush point. She got closer and closer to the flag. She picked it up and ran for the cover of an electric distribution terminal. Cautiously, she emerged, creeping closer and closer to the home base. She crossed the threshold and saw the beacon she had to attach the flag to. She stepped closer. She looked around and then dropped her weapon in order to pull the flag from a pocket. In that second she froze, she was shot, "killed"._

"_Disappointing, they spoke so highly of you" said a strange voice._

"_But I guess that's what you should expect, from a human." Said the voice._

_A Turian stepped in front of the pedestal on which the beacon was located. His face was white and had an expression that Mara assumed was smugness._

"_This will not look good on your report, Shepard." Said the Turian_

_Mara made an expression that indicated she was confused._

"_Hm, don't worry about it now; nothing will change for you, human." Said the Turian as he turned and left._

_The day proceeded as usual from there, Mass Effect theory and ship command commenced at 1 and ended at 6. Then she proceeded to the gym. John approached her while she was on the lateral._

"_What happened out there Mara?" he asked_

_Mara brushed cool sweat from brow and replied "I don't know. I mean, I checked every building before I entered the deli and just as I'm about to place the flag I'm shot. Then a Turian appears from nowhere and said "this will not look good on my report" I mean, what the hell?"_

"_A Turian? What the hell indeed." Replied John. "Have you talked to the dean?"_

"_Yes, he said not to worry about it." Said Mara_

"_Mara, something's going on here and you're right in the thick of it. Watch your back, anything could happen. I am concerned about you."_

"_So, is this the part where you profess you undying love to me?" joked Mara._

"_Never mind, forget I said any thing." Said John as he turned and left_

"_John, wait. John!" called Mara, but John continued on his way_

_Huh this day just keeps getting stranger thought Mara._

_At 8 Mara left the gym for dinner. She took it outside to the roof as the sun set. Now the light was losing against the dark. The moon rose high in the sky and a cool breeze cooled Mara as she ate. She absorbed all that had happened today. Where did that Turian come from? What's his interest in her? Did he have anything to do with Sangra, the Asari who sent her here? Her mind was racing. If people just told her what they wanted her to do, she'd do it, without hesitation. She lay back and let the wind brush a jet of red hair from her eyes._

_3 years later_

_The drop ship deployed from the carrier in orbit over titan. With an extra 1 and a half years training, Mara was squad leader of the recruits. Drill sergeant Ellison was making his usual tirade._

"…_And no Gold Bricking! None of you pusillanimous maggots is dropping the ball on this one, is that understood!" he said_

"_Sir, yes sir!!!" said the recruits in unison._

"_Ok, this is a simple drop and secure." Said Mara. "When we land here, disperse and cover the LZ. Once deployed we move north to the facility here and secure the entrance. Mission will then be up linked to my suits VI and I'll up date." She continued, pointing at holographic map in the center of the chamber. "This is a live fire exercise so check your fire. Mendoza, I'm looking at you. That's it, check your gear and get ready to deploy in 5, good luck."_

_The drop ship came to a halt in a crater 2 kilometers south of the facility. The landing jets of the craft melted the ice underneath. As the steam left the surface it instantly refroze, creating a glittering mist. The door opened and 16 men poured out. The drill sergeant held Mara back for a few seconds. "Be careful Mara, live rounds in the hands of recruits can be a dangerous business."_

"_Understood sir" answered Mara._

_Mara stepped out of the retaining force field. Zero atmospheres were odd. The pressure in her suit couldn't be maintained so it dropped to about a third of standard. She felt like she could squish the air in her mouth. As she stepped off the platform onto the ice, particles of water were loosened from the light gravity and added to the glitter effect. Mara looked up. Jupiter was directly above and Mara could just make out the shape of the SSV Tokyo. She always held the view of space from planets in awe. If there was atmosphere she would __organise__ a date with John, who was now her second in command. She felt odd as Alliance guide lines prohibit __fraternisation and she was a "by the book" person. But the alliance wanted to keep her on, and so was willing to overlook misdemeanours. Mara disliked this as she didn't need special treatment, but wasn't going to complain. They barley got to "fraternise" any way with the amount of time training._

"_Safety's on. Stay cautious and keep a cool head__. By the numbers people!" she barked_

_The squad moved out towards the facility._

_The structure was a "Bio-dome", a glass structure in the shape of a sphere that was half sunk in the ground._

"_Ok the scenario is… there are 6 civilians in the facility, drones that fire taser rounds are the "terrorist" element. The rounds will pass through kinetic barriers but will be deactivated at a loss to your shield. And check your targets; breach the bio-dome and mission failed. Safeties off guys!"_

_One of the recruits, Griggs, pulled out an omni tool and began to cut through the bolt on the air lock._

"_Through mam."_

"_Open it"_

_Griggs and John put two magnetic clamps on the door and pulled it open._

_The airlock was cramped for 16 people. The room was made from a composite alloy. Mara noted its grey appearance. The room seemed depressing, with only a flickering light to illuminate it._

"_Mendoza, hack that console." Ordered Mara, as she pointed to a small panel on the wall._

"_Griggs, __John, close the airlock, I don't want to be blown out by decompression."_

_The magnetic clamps were replaced and the door was closed._

"_I'm in, ready to open on your order Shepard" said Mendoza_

"_Do it." She replied_

_The airlock door hissed as a small amount of air rushed in to the airlock. Light peaked through the opening, lighting the once dimly lit, cramped chamber. Mara was dazed; it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. She took a second to absorb the view. The environment was perfect. Grass and gardens covered the floor, trees littered the area and a bird darted in front of Mara's head. Shocked, Mara jumped back, and looked on as it perched its self in a tree. On the glass was a projection of a blue sky that rippled as the hologram reset. In the centre of the complex was a tall silver spire, the only structure inside the dome._

"_Huh? Since when is a training facility this…"__ said Mara, stunned by the intricacy of the environment._

"_Mam?" Asked Griggs_

"_That holographic projection must have cost over a million __credits and the lighting to facilitate an installation of this size…" explained Mara_

"_We've got a mission mam." Said Mendoza_

"_You right" replied Mara "Ok, move up, 3 metre spre__ad."_

_Mara walked behind, still absorbing the environment, while scolding her self for her loss of restraint. Only when she reached the spire could she appreciate the size of it. It was 250 metres tall at least, with a base that was at least 100 metres across. It also acted as a support for the centre of the dome. Any loss of structural integrity and this dome would come crashing around them. There was a large metal door on the side._

"_Locked." Said Mendoza_

"_Any other entrances?" asked Mara_

"_There may be a vent that we could use." Said John_

"_Ok, how about cutting?"_

"_This is a titanium, carbon and platinum alloy; it would take at least 3 hours."_

"_fine, look for a new entrance."_

"_Mam, I've got something here" said Rebecca, the only other woman on the squad_

"_What is it Beck?"_

"_A crawl space mam. You and me could probably fit in but the guys would have to wait out here."_

"_Great." Mara said to her self "Uh, ok. Rosencov take Marko, Jenkins and Johnson and maintain a perimeter around our exit. Mendoza, Griggs, wait here for us to open the door. John, take the rest and scout the rest of the facility. Understood?"_

_The whole squad nodded in agreement._

"_Beck you're with me, take point."_

"_Aye-aye mam."_

_The shaft was cramped, Mara felt uneasy._

"_I suppose they chose this to test me." Said Mara to her self_

"_Mam?" asked Beck_

"_Oh, nothing" replied Mara "Just talking to myself."_

"_Your not, claustrophobic are you mam?" asked Beck_

"_I guess, I like free range of motion, I don't like being cramped. I face it every night when I go into those sleeper pods, but I'd still avoid cramped spaces where ever possible." Answered Mara, breathing heavily_

"_Ha, I never considered that you were scared of anything, your demeanour almost never changes and you never give anything about yourself away."_

"_No one ever asked." replied__ Mara. "You see anything yet?"_

"_There's a light from the floor about 5 meters ahead."_

"_Ok, well drop down there."_

_Beck removed a metal grill and popped her head down._

"_Clear" she said as she lowered her self down._

_Mara soon followed. She crouched as she landed. With her weapon poised she looked around the room. It was dimly lit with fluorescent lights at either side of the hall. One of them flickered. The hall reminded her of the colony from one of the old vids, Aliens, she recalled the name. She watched the film in her 10__th__ grade history class. "Late 20__th__ century impressions of space travel" along with "The sins of out fathers". She wondered if they would ever make a ship named the Enterprise. The floor was a steel mesh. Cables were bundled underneath and the roof had pipes running along parallel with the vent. It had all the hallmarks of a horror film. Suddenly this complex seemed more like a training facility. She moved up to the door and pulled the release lever. Mara heard a click and the door slid open. The new light pouring in lit up the hall. Mara noted an insignia on the wall. A three headed dog. As she looked around she noticed a stair case behind her. She now had two options, the roof or the basement.  
"John, pick three squad mates and meet us here." Mara said over the radio_

"_Affirmative." Said John._

"_Griggs, Mendoza, get our six, we'll be going up."_

"_Mam?" asked John as he appeared in the door._

"_Take your squad down this hall and look for those civilians. Check in every 10 minutes." Ordered Mara_

"_Aye-aye mam" replied John "Be careful babe." He said over a closed channel._

_Mara smiled, almost giggling__ as he moved off. Regaining he poise she gestured to move out. _

"_One thousand two hundred and fifty seven,__ one thousand two hundred and fifty eight..."_

"_Mendoza, what are you doing?" asked Beck._

"_Counting the steps; one thousand two hundred and sixty..." Answered Mendoza_

"_Just how tall is this spire any way?" asked Griggs_

"_I don't know, but we must be near the top." Replied Mara_

_The stair case terminated with a door. With her weapon rased, Mara pushed the button to open it. All the sudden the shield protecting Mara shimmered, indicating a round just hit her suit. She lay down flat, using the stair as cover. Rounds flew over head making a terrible sound, as though ripping the air. Griggs sought cover of a near by VI processing port and Mendoza and Beck used a computer terminal. The drones were unrelenting, firing their weapons until they overheated. Mara considered using a grenade, but it was too close to the civilians. Instead she dove out and blasted one away with a shotgun. Another fell as Griggs released a volley of rounds. Mara grabbed the barrel of the final one and swung it at a wall. The drone was lighter that Mara expected and it hit the wall with tremendous velocity. The drone attempted to stabilise its self but its mass effect drive flickered and died. The room was secure._

"_Hoorah" said Griggs_

"_Secure the hostages" ordered Mara_

_Griggs, Beck and Mendoza moved over to aid the hostages as something caught Mara's eye, a bullet hole from one of the drones. They weren't firing riot rounds, they were using live ammunition!!!_

"_Mam, you may want to see this." Said Griggs_

"_Jesus Christ!" exclaimed Mara as she looked at the civilians._

_Blood drenched the floor, originating from the 3 civilians lying face down. Mara turned one over and noticed an impact wound from a shredder round._

"_Damn… John! John do you read?."__ Said Mara over the com, suddenly realising the danger_

"_Yes I do mam" said John over the comm._

"_Drones are using live rounds, repeats, Drones are using lethal weaponry, the hostages are now in real danger! Proceed with extreme caution."_

"_Under__stood mam."_

"_Mendoza, have we any method of contacting the Tokyo?" Asked Mara_

"_No, we have an EPERB to signal for extraction. The installation may have off world communications. Ask the VI."_

_Mara pushed a button on the VI interface and a female hologram popped up._

"_Hello, I am the Cerberus facility VI, how may I help you?" asked the VI_

"_Can we get a com link to a ship in orbit?" asked Mara_

"_I'm sorry, communication during a training exercise is forbidden. Only in the event of an emergency is communication allowed." Answered the VI_

"_Drones are firing live rounds and 3 civilians are dead, does that count as an emergency?" said Mara, growing annoyed._

"_Drones are not fitted with live __rounds. Also, records indicate that there have only been 16 people in this facility in the past 3 days. You must be mistaken." Said the VI_

"_I'm not mistaken! There are 3 dead civilians on the floor behind me!" said Mara becoming more aggravated_

"_I'm sorry, communication during a training exercise is forbidden. Only in the event of a-"_

"_We don't have time for this. Mendoza, see if you can hack the communications." Said Mara, interrupting the VI_

"_Mam? This is John, do you copy?" said John over the radio_

"_Yes John, what is it?_

"_I don't really know mam. There's a factory down here, producing drones."_

"_Shit, where are you?" Mara asked_

"_In the basement still mam, we see the hostages. They don't seem conscious and there are several drones in the area."_

"_Ok, don't move until we get there."_

"_Understood ma-" A loud noise came over the com. "They've flanked us! Get to cover! GET TO COV-" the transmission cut out._

"_John? John!?!"_

_No answer came; just static._

"_Ok, we need to move." Said Mara_

"_Mam, with all due respect, shouldn't we call for evac and get a strike force to attack that's fully trained?" said Mendoza_

"_We can't inform them with the EPERB so it would take too many trips, too much time. They could be dead by then." Replied Mara_

"_For al__l we know they could be dead right now." Said Mendoza_

"_And for all we know they could be alive." Said Mara as she grabbed Mendoza's collar_

"_We're Marines soldier; we don't leave our people behind!"_

"_Yes mam." Said Mendoza submissively_

"_Even so, fast evac would be beneficial." Said Griggs thoughtfully  
" Ok, call for the transport Mendoza, but tell them to hold." Said Mara_

"_Yes mam."_

"_Ok we've wasted enough time, let's move out. Double time it guys!"_

_The squad seemed to fly down the stairs. Mara ran as fast as she could. She soon developed a pain in her side. Instinct told her to slow down, but she continued to run at a constant pace. A mixture of worry and adrenalin dampened her tendency towards pain. She ran to the large door and waited for the others to catch up._

"_Mendoza, tell Rosencov and the others to make for extraction and wait for us."_

_Mendoza nodded and moved off. Mara's feet clattered on the deck. The steel grating bounced up and down as she ran. She met another flight of stairs and ran down them. At the bottom she came to a control room. Directly opposite from her was a window. She walked slowly towards it, with her assault rifle poised. The control room over looked a large chamber. There were about 10 cat walks and sparks going off everywhere. This had to be the factory that John was talking about. But it was huge! The chamber would have had to be 500 meters across, with enough assembly lines to create a thousand drones per day. Some one was trying to make an army of drones. But to do what? That much was unclear. And again the question came up, why is a facility this valuable a training ground? She had a new concern now. These drones were uncontrolled and could kill a lot of people if they got out. This facility, no matter how valuable, had to be destroyed._

"_We've got to blow it up." Said Mara_

"_What?!?" said Beck_

"_If these drones got out they could kill a lot of people, we've got to destroy this."  
"Mam, this is an alliance facility and we've not been given clearance to do that." Said Griggs_

"_I'll take full responsibility, I know the consequences, but this is bigger than me."_

"_Ok mam we'll stand with you." said Beck_

"_How would we do destroy this facility?" asked Mara_

"_If we overloaded the Element Zero core, the facility would crush itself." Said Griggs_

"_Do you know how to do that?"_

"_Mendoza may be our resident technical expert, but I still have my moments." Said Griggs_

"_Ok, we get John and his squad out of here first, then we blow this joint." Said Mara_

_Mara moved along the cat walk with Beck in toe, Griggs stayed at the control room to initiate the Mass Effect overload._

"_Ok, I can initiate the overload on your order, it will take 5 minutes to build up to critical charge."_

"_Roger that."_

_Mara and Beck reached the other side of the cat walk. The door sild open and a red splash caught Mara's eye. 3 soldiers lay face down on the ground. Mara checked for a pulse on each but each man was dead._

"_Mam, none of these is John, he may still be alive."_

"_Ok, grab the tags and keep looking. But be careful"_

_This room was small. A single boiler, pipes and an equipment area were located here, along with the smell of death. Debris littered the floor, from the drones. Mara heard heavy breathing from behind the boiler. She rased her weapon and investigated. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw John in the corner. His shoulder was hit and he was bleeding. With his good arm he had his gun up._

"_Damn it John, why didn't you say anything when we entered."_

"_Sorry… Mam… I'm a little…"_

"_It's ok. Beck, get over here!"_

_Beck pulled out a med kid and placed some medi-gel on his wound. Before their eyes the wound healed. Beck also injected him with a stimulant._

"_How you felling?" asked Beck_

"_I'll live, I think" said John_

_Mara and Beck placed his arms over their shoulders and dragged him back to the control room._

"_Damn, why won't you work!" yelled__ Griggs as Mara entered_

_Mara and Beck deposited John on a chair. Beck put down the med kit and walked over to Griggs with Mara._

"_What's the problem Griggs?" asked Mara_

"_The safeties won't disengage, I could keep them off, but that would require me to stay here."  
"Fine, I'll stay and activate it." Said Mara_

"_No you won't, I will." Said John_

"_Your not in command John, I am, I'll be staying."_

"_Mara, I'm just another soldier, one of one million, I'm nothing special. But you… you've got this quality, this natural skill and selflessness that makes you a cut above the rest. The alliance doesn't need me, but it needs you." Said John_

_Mara came closer to John and whispered to him "I need you."_

"_No you don't, there will be others." Said john as he reached for the med kit_

"_No, as your commanding officer I am ordering you, evacuate with the others."_

"_I'm sorry Mara." Said John as he made a swift movement, jabbing her with a syringe._

_Mara looked down at the needle mark for a second and then back at John. She saw his eyes well up as she lost consciousness._

"_Get her out of here, that's an order."_

_Stunned, it took a second for Beck and Griggs to process that order. They picked her up and dragged her out._

_John sat at the console and repeatedly typed in the override code as he prayed for Mara's safety. He wasn't a religious man, but at that moment he prayed to a loving god._

"_He died in service to the __Alliance, to protect Earth and her people, and to protect me. As a commanding officer, I made a promise to my self that I would never order a soldier to do something I wasn't willing to do myself. That day I ordered him to leave that control room and broke that promise. He saved me, both my morals and my life. I cared for him deeply. I will always remember him. May god accept him with open arms."_

"Mam, 20 minutes out." Said Joker over the radio

"Acknowledged Joker."

Mara put down the guitar. She was playing an ancient song that seemed appropriate. She still didn't understand what was special about her, but she concluded that others had seen it too. Now she was a spectre, so she asked herself, was his death necessary? If he had lived and she had stayed, would he be in her shoes now? Her first losses as a commander and it included her lover. It was his decision; she concluded all those years ago, but it still bothered her.

She cleared her mind. The mission must take priority.

Next: Part 3 - Liara


	3. Chapter 3

Mara Shepard Saga

Part 3: Liara

Authors note: this one was more based on the Therium level than a flash back. I felt the need to get it out of the way so I could get back to my character. Hopefully I will update it in the future but right now, it's a bit of a repeat. Though my take on the combat sequences is pretty cool, I recon.

Mara sat in the Mako. It took a second for her to get comfortable in her cramped seat. Tali slid in next to her and Ashley sat in the gunner's seat.

"So, we ready to go Shepard?" asked Tail

"Give Joker the green light." Replied Mara

A magnetic "hook" picked up the Mako; Mara felt a shake as it lifted the vehicle up.

"10 seconds until we break atmosphere Mam" said Joker.

The shaking increased as they passed through the ionosphere. Mara held on to the wheel to comfort herself. Soon the tremors subsided and the cargo bay door opened. An arm that controlled the magnetic clamp extended out. Mara looked out the wind screen. Lava flows extended in every direction. She could make out several small installations, what she assumed was the dig site.

"Ok Joker, begin your run" said Mara

"Um, Mara, is he going to drop us to the LZ?" asked Tali

"Hehehe, my favorite part." Replied Mara

The Normandy swooped down, dropping the Mako. Mara yelled in excitement as she looked at Tali, she couldn't make out the expression, but she assumed it was terror. It was a wicked bit of fun, the likes of which she didn't usually enjoy. Four jets underneath the Mako flared and the decent slowed. They landed with a thud.

Liara had been stuck for several days. She stared into the face of the Krogan leader.

"We will find away to get to you" said the Krogan

"Do as you will. Even if you do, I won't tell you any thing." Replied Liara. A tone of defiance seeped through.

"Hm, Saren has methods that are… persuasive."

The Krogan moved off, barking orders at his Geth.

Liara let out a sigh. Even though the Krogan could do nothing to reach her, she was still relieved that she didn't have to talk to him any more. She looked to her left and right; her hands were suspended, locked in position. She tried to free them with her biotics, but to no avail. How does an archeologist end up in these situations?

_Liara hid in the ablative armor. The Destiny Ascension was a big ship, the biggest, yet it was only here she felt alone, at piece. Her mother knew where she was, no one knew Liara like Benezia, and so even though it was dangerous, Benezia allowed it. Liara hated the noise of the crowds. Even in sleep she got no rest as Asari slept together. She lay down underneath a view port and watched the Citadel as they passed by. She was in awe, the huge arms of the Citadel extended around the ship. It seemed as though the universe was trying to pluck the ship up with these huge metal fingers. She contemplated how her mother would react to her decision. She was a matriarch's daughter; things were expected of her, even though she was still so young. She had known her mother for fifty two years, and in all that time she had never told Benezia something like this; that she would leave her side to chase her dream. She knew of the supportive role she played with her mother; the matriarch listens to others problems, but who was there to listen to her? Liara spent many hours a day by her mothers side, listening to her mother, soaking up every word, learning from her and those she helped. A Turian curser flew in front of the view port. Her thoughts were interrupted as the titan blocked her view. _

_That evening she told her mother her plan_

"_Crowds and ships are your place mother. I love you and it tears me up to leave you but his is something I –"_

"_You have to do, I understand Liara. I've known for some time you've wanted to leave."_

"_I figured you'd have guessed." Said Liara_

"_Children often rebel against there parents, it's a natural part of growing up. Only I had hoped you'd stay a little longer."_

"_I am concerned about you, mother, what will you do if I leave?" asked Liara_

"_Don't worry about me little wing. Each of us has our own path." Said Benezia_

"_I can only hope ours crosses again." Said Liara_

_Benezia laughed in amusement "oh, you have the mind of a matriarch, but with the heart of a child, you'll do well Liara."_

"_Thank you mother."_

_So Liara left. She acquired an apprenticeship off a Silarian archeologist for 5 years and she absorbed all she could. The Silarian was fast, some times to fast for Liara, and lost his patience. Even so she learnt a lot. By her second year she had heard every theory about how the Protheans vanished. Wars, plague, famine, were a few of many. One had even postulated that they had ascended to a higher state of being, but all such things were pure speculation._

"_Evidence is difficult to find. Artifacts are few and far between. Speculation is natural, but keep your theories yours until the appropriate moment and keep an open mind." Said her Teacher one day as they dug_

_The Silarian preferred digging as apposed to laser cutting. Lasers had the potential for damaging relics and he didn't like standing around doing nothing. The Silarian died at the end of Liara's training, but not before passing on everything he knew. Silarians didn't live long and he saw that Liara could continue his legacy. Liara didn't know how long it would take, but she felt as though she owed it to her Silarian tutor to find the truth._

Mara slammed on the breaks and the Geth trooper hanging off the turret was launched into the lava. She watched as the light from its eye flickered and died.  
"Mam, Colossus, 6 o'clock, INCOMING!" yelled Ashley

Mara engaged the thrusters and leaped over the large projectile. Ashley retaliated with a barrage of slugs and artillery. Mara turned and slammed down the accelerator. She drove the Mako right into the colossus and right into a wall. The colossus was undamaged but the cliff had suffered enough to cause several rocks to fall. The land side crushed the colossus.

As the Geth exploded in a blue fire Ashley let out a loud "Hell yeah!!!".

Mara turned and looked at Ashley.

"Um… hell yeah mam." Said Ash

Mara just laughed as she pulled out and drove on.

The Krogan paced in front of the force field with what seemed to be an angered expression. Liara had difficulty guessing Krogans; they always seemed angry. Liara finally plucked up the courage to insult her hunter.

"Perhaps if you keep pacing you'll make a hole that can you use."  
"Quiet, Asari bitch. I need you alive; I don't think Saren would mind what my definition of alive is." Retorted the Krogan

Liara went silent; she thought it unwise to provoke him further. No one was coming for her, she had concluded, and so it was only a matter of time before the Krogan got to her.

Mara put her foot down. "Time for unsafe velocities" she thought. The air conditioner inside the Mako struggled to keep the atmosphere inside at a tolerable level.

"Damn, it looks hot out there" said Ash

The Mako drove into a tunnel that cut through the volcanoes rock face. It was dark. As they turned the corner all natural light from this planets hostile sun ceased and only the head lights of the Mako lit up the road. The vehicle weaved its way through half of the tunnel with out incident but as soon as Mara could make out light at the end of the tunnel she was stopped by a derelict vehicle that blocked the road. She drew the Mako to a steady halt and left the vehicle. The heat was bearable, but only just. If her suit didn't have an intercooler, she'd be cooked by now. She inspected the vehicle. It seemed in working order, power cell was present and no fissures in the hull. Why, then, was it abandoned? Suddenly it hit her. She pulled out her weapon.

"Stay frosty, this reeks of a trap." Said Mara as the lights on her rifle lit up.

She walked to the maintenance access, carefully. She opened the door. Light poured into the tunnel. It took a second for Mara to adjust. There in the side passage stood a Geth, at least 2 meters high. Mara lifted her weapon ready to strike, but the Geth stood still, not even its eye was lit up. She cautiously approached it and tapped it with her gun. The Geth fell over with a hollow thud. Just at that second Mara heard a strange noise behind her. She turned to investigate. Tali and Ash still stood next to the Mako, also looking for the source of the noise. Mara noticed a light move towards her at a tremendous velocity. It knocked her down. She stared at a Geth; and it had her pinned. She struggled free and kicked it in the eye. As she did she heard the noise of particle fire. She rolled over and looked at the Geth. A blast mark from a high energy laser marked where her head used to be. She pulled out her pistol and unloaded a few rounds into the Geth's head. Tali ran over to Mara and assisted her.

"Are you ok Shepard?"

"Fine, but that was damn close!"

"Uh mam, I don't mean to rush you but I think we should be getting outta here." Said Ash

Mara looked down the tunnel and saw 20 lights moving down the road

"Tali, move that vehicle!" ordered Mara "Ash, get in the Mako and send some shells down their way."

Ash and Tail both nodded and preformed their task. Only Mara was left exposed. She picked up her assault rifle and lifted it, ready to fire. The noise from the Mako's cannon was deafening. She saw 3 geth light up in a yellow blaze. But still, the survivors grew ever closer.

"Tali come on!"

"Working as fast as I can Shepard, I've got to hot wire this thing!"

Soon Mara was surrounded. Ashley couldn't risk firing artillery at this close range, she could hit Mara. Mara switched to tungsten rounds, designed to penetrate armor more efficiently. She hit one of the Geth. It was stunned but not dead. She kept firing until her weapon over heated. Finally the light from its eye died. With the rest of the Geth more concerned with Ash, Mara took a second to examine the body. It shouldn't have taken that long to take out a single geth of this size. On closer examination the geth seemed more organic and muscular than normal. For this reason she switched to shredder rounds. She unloaded a few rounds into a geth that was harassing the Mako's turret; it seemed to have the desired effect. The derelict vehicle came to life.

"Got it" said Tali

"OK, dive that thing out of this tunnel; get these things on open terrain."

The wheels spun as Tali maneuvered the vehicle out of the Mako's path. Mara jumped back inside. As she tried to close the door as geth jumped in and held it open. The geth clawed at her, trying to drag her out. She reached for her shot gun. As she let the door go the geth leaped in. Mara unloaded a 32 gauge round right in its face. The geth fell, out leaking white coolant. Mara slammed on the accelerator and charged out. One of the geth leaped for the roof of the Mako but missed his mark. Instead he landed on the front wheel. The geth was crushed on the next revolution. As the Mako left the tunnel it became airborne. Mara saw Tali standing next to the derelict with a device in her hand. Mara quickly figured out what it was for and gave Tali an affirmative nod. Tali activated the device. Mara heard a low toned "bleep" followed by a large explosion. Geth came out of the tunnel at tremendous velocities. Five came out and hit a cliff wall, exploding in a shower of parts and coolant. Six others landed in the lava flow that ran adjacent to the road and one landed right in front of Tail. Damaged, it struggled to regain footing. Tail kicked it down, pulled out her shotgun and shot it in the face.

"That's for my people you bastards" said Tali

"Quick thinking Tali" said Mara

"It was nothing really" replied Tali

"That's going to make for a good highlight real." said Ash

Mara replied with a low "Hoorah".

The road stopped and only a small crack in the cliff allowed further access.

"Alright, looks like we're legging it from here, stay tight."

Liara focused on the orb locking her in place. The currents, the sounds, the field itself, she started to appreciate the consistency of the orb, its rhythms. She tried to break these with her biotics. With immense concentration she generated a small hole in the orb. It got larger and larger and…

"What are you doing? Contemplating how you are going to make this up to me?" said the Krogan, interrupting Liara's concentration. She opened her eyes and replied.

"I have no apologies for your current situation."

"Ha, you'll be begging for forgiveness by the time I'm through with you!" remarked the Krogan

One of the geth approached him.

"Really? Every one?"

The trooper gave an affirmative nod.

"Uh, you geth aren't worth the metal your made of. Outta my way!" said the Krogan as he pushed the geth aside.

Liara went back to her meditation.

"Get down!" yelled Mara

One of the geth launched a large projectile at Tali. Mara dived and pushed Tali into cover. Mara felt the heat from the projectile graze her head. It passed and hit two meters behind her. Her shield took the brunt of the attack.

"Ash, where's that sniper support?"

Mara heard the mussel sound from a sniper rifle

"Boom, head shot!" said Ash over the com

"Nice, but don't get cocky Ash"

Mara leaned against a rocky outcrop. She was taking lots of fire, so much so that she was wondering how long it would take for the geth to chip through her cover. She pulled out a disc shaped grenade and prepared to throw it. Only her hand appeared as she threw it but her heads up display registered 7 projectile hits. The grenade sailed through the air. The geth saw and dived out of the way, giving Ashley a clear shot. Mara heard 5 shots, meaning 5 geth now lay dead. She pulled out her assault rifle and dodged out of her cover. She dashed for Tali, who was now pursuing the remaining geth.

"Mam, enemy in full retreat." Said Ashley

"Ok, get down here and link up with us" replied Mara, still sprinting after the geth and a frenzied Quarian.

They retreated to a mine entrance. Their left flank was blocked by scaffolding, their right by a cliff and they had a good position. Mara launched an under stung grenade from her assault rifle in the hopes of forcing them to abandon their cover. It worked. The geth troopers dodged into the open to avoid the explosive. Mara and Tali quickly dispatched them with a barrage of bullets. Ash rejoined them just in time to shoot the last trooper.

"Ok, so now what?" asked Ashley

"I don't know. Joker? How far are we from the signal?"

"Its 200 meters west… feel like going for a nice sulfur swim?"

Mara wasn't in the mood for his jokes and was on the verge of reprimanding him for insubordination.

"Joker, there is a mine shaft west of us, could it be under ground?"

"Possab- Mam, take cover! I just picked up a geth drop ship coming in! Direction: North, North West. Repeat, get to cover!"

Mara noticed the drop ship as it passed. It dropped geth right in front of her. 4 shock troopers, 3 of those weird, organic kinds of geth and an armature.

Mara had barely enough time to get to cover before the armatures particle weapon got off a shot. The projectile landed 10 meters behind her but she still felt the concussive effect.

"Tali, flank left, concentrate your fire on the smaller geth. Ash, bait the armature, get it under that cliff." Said Mara as she backed off and ran up the cliff.

Tali had dispatched all but 2 geth shock troopers by the time the armature was in position. Mara jumped off the cliff and onto the armature. She grabbed its neck and placed a grenade on the joint for its head. She then jumped off and ran to aid Tali, who was now out flanked by the geth. The trooper was about to fire his shotgun at point blank, that would almost certainly kill Tali. But Mara gave the shock trooper a strong whack to the back of its head. Tali turned in response, distracted from the geth that was beneath her feet. The geth grabbed her foot and tried to drag her down but Tali casually picked up her pistol and unloaded a round into his head. The timer on the grenade expired and the armatures head came clean off. The metallic beast then fell into a broken heap. Mara smirked. Even though this had been a stressful engagement, Mara felt obligated to take pleasure in defeating the mechanical monstrosity.

"Ok, I think we'll try this mine entrance. Watch your back; we could get out flanked." She said to the squad "Joker, keep us informed of any reinforcements."

"Aye-aye mam"

The tunnel entrance was dimly lit; Mara could barely see, but using her flash light could give away her position. So she jogged down the tunnel with her compatriots in darkness. "Why didn't I take any light amplification hardware with me?" she asked herself. The tunnel opened into a large cavern that was lit up blue. Mara walked onto a cat walk and stopped, frozen in awe. The origin of the blue light was a large tower that had been buried under centuries of lava flows. There were numerous breaches in the tower, all of which were sealed by barriers. The glow of the barriers lit up the cavern. It took the ripple of her kinetic barrier to snap Mara out of her trance. She hit the deck as projectiles flew over head. Mara peered over the edge. 3 geth stood on the cat walk below. Mara got up and jumped down ton the geth directly below her. The trooper dropped to the ground under the force of Mara's maneuver. A quick shoot to the head dispatched him permanently. Mara dived out of the way. The two others were still active. Tali hacked one and it turned its weapon on the other. They killed each other in the ensuing confusion.

"Stay sharp, there' will be more."

Mara noticed an elevator to her left, but the scaffolding had taken considerable damage. So she simply jumped off the edge. Ashley paused, shocked that her commander had just jumped off the catwalk, and was now almost certainly dead. She rushed to the edge and looked down; her commander was fine. Mara had fallen about 50 meters and landed softly; she had done some tweaking to her kinetic barriers, they could also generate a Mass Effect field so she could lower her mass, it seemed that course in mass effect theory paid off. She landed with a velocity of 40 meters per second but only weighed 10 grams.

"Mam? How did you just do that?"

"Ah, she's adjusted her suits kinetic barriers, nice one Shepard." Said Tali thoughtfully

"Ok make your way down here; I'll keep this area secured."

Liara's concentration was broken by a strange noise. A person had just landed right in front of her!

"Hello? Can you help me?"

The person turned and cautiously approached the barrier. She was human, most likely military, or in league with the Krogan.

"Doctor T'soni I presume?" asked the woman

"Oh, thank the goddess; I thought that no one was coming for me."

"Its ok, what is this thing?" asked the woman

"It's a Prothean barrier curtain, its control console is on this side. But, but I can't reach it."

"Ok, my squad will be here in a few seconds, we'll find away around."

The woman put her hand on the barrier and observed the ripples her touch had generated.

"Mam behind you!" yelled Ashley

Mara turned to see a small squad of geth preparing to over run her. She ripped out her assault rifle and let off some rounds. The geth dove for cover. Mara jumped down onto the base of the cavern and ran towards the attacking geth. She gave a shock trooper a kick to the head and a shot in the stomach. Ash kept firing as she repelled from the catwalk, hitting 2 of the geth. Mara continued to chase after the enemy, like a berserker, and closed in on the final geth. She pulled out her pistol and shot it at point blank. The trooper fell to its feet. Mara quickly turned around and shot off two more rounds into the crippled pair of geth. She walked towards Ashley, who was recoiling from her rather hard landing.

"You've gotta give me that upgrade mam."

"Sure, but not now. Tali, how are we going to get around?"

Tali followed Ashley down the rope. She landed and looked around.

"If that mining laser still works I could hot wire it." Said Tail

"Ok, give it a shot."

Tali pressed some holographic buttons on her omni tool and the laser came to life. With in seconds it had cut a hole in the rock, down to an open breach in the tower. Mara raised her weapon and proceeded into the breach. An elevator took her up to Liara's cage.

Liara grew concerned. She heard a loud noise, then nothing. If something were to happen to her saviors, then she would be at the mercy of the Krogan. Just then she heard the click of the elevator behind her.

"Oh, good, quickly that control panel over there should deactivate the barrier."

"Hang on Mam, how do we know that she's not working for Saren?"

"I'd never side with that Turian bastard. I'm not my mother, and I don't know what possessed her to join with him. You must let me out, please." Liara said.

She felt as though she was about to cry, to be so close to freedom and to have it snatched away, the thought was unbearable.

"I think we can trust her, the geth wouldn't be trying to kill her if she was working with Saren." Said the woman

She walked over to the console and deactivated the orb. Liara dropped and fell over as she landed.

"Thank you, miss…?"

"Commander Mara Shepard, Alliance Navy, this is Tali and Ashley." Said Mara pointing to her compatriots.

The cavern shook.

"I think you entrance destabilized this cavern, we should get out of here"

They proceeded to a large platform in the centre of the room. Liara punched a few buttons on a control panel and the platform rose. As they reached the top Liara noticed the Krogan waiting for them. Ashley grabbed Liara and pushed her into cover. Tali also hid while Mara stood still in defiance.

"Thanks for dropping the barriers, now give us the Asari." He said  
"In case you haven't noticed, this cave is coming down!"

"Exhilarating, isn't it? Hand her over and I might not kill you."

Liara noticed Mara make a gesture to Ashley.

"She'll stay with us, thanks." Said Mara

Ashley threw Mara her pistol. Mara caught it and grabbed hers. She took out the Krogans entire escort with 6 well placed shots. She then ran up and kicked the Krogans shotgun out of his hands. The Krogan then bioticaly threw her across the room. Mara hit the wall with a thud. Ashley and Tali then came out of cover and shot the alien dead with a barrage of bullets. Liara rushed over to help up Commander Shepard up.

"Are you ok?"

"I'll be fine" she assured Liara "but we won't be if we don't get out of these caves."

…

Next: Part 4, The Blitz


End file.
